Mozambique - Let the People Speak!

Since 2001, AFSC's Mozambique Integrated Rural Development Program(MIRD) has worked in partnership with three communities located in Manica Province. In Denglelenga, Dororo and Chitunga, AFSC has developed projects that include reforestation, fish ponds, community gardens and school construction. Throughout this time, the MIRD program has been committed to following three basic steps:

Community Education and Training: Creating meaningful awareness by engaging the various sectors in the community to discuss sustainable development and capacity building. It should be noted that this phase of the program intends to involve the community in charting out their destiny. There is ongoing dialogue with traditional leaders, community leaders, committees and members of community-based groups. Training topics cover specific project-related skills such as fish farming and financial management, along with concepts of democratic process and group decision making.

Material Provision: Once a community-based group has completed training, AFSC provides the resources necessary to start the projects, such as tools, construction materials and agriculture inputs (seeds, shoots).

Monitoring: This is an ongoing process done by AFSC staff, accomplished through site visits, observation, and review meetings.

AFSC Work in Mozambique

Training and Community Based Organizations: Dengalenga, Chitunga and Dororo

Community members will no longer use spray for the animals, but will use a dip tank instead. The dip tank will involve excavating the earth and constructing a pool where cows can be dipped. This is a major undertaking which will require heavy investment.

Bread Baking in Chitunga continues. After the initial training on group dynamics, group norms and costing – the group now runs the bakery and the tea room on their own. There are plans to further their skills by giving them more training more so on the baking of the bread. During the month under review their daily earning was 2000 MTn (80 USD) considered high within the circumstances.

The Kukura Kurerwa (Chitunga) group is planting moringa trees. The seedlings have now reached the transplanting stage. The government extension worker in the area is working closely with this group more so on the technical side. The group’s objective of the group is to get oil from the tree.

Road construction - Dengalenga

The community continues in the construction of the road and the bridge in order to make Dengalenga accessible. The road committee has access to a scotch cart and animals that enable it to carry minor loads during the construction.

Construction of schools at Dengalenga, Dororo and Chitunga

The doors of the school and windows have been made and will be fixed soon. The committee of the Dororo School met to discussed how to carry bricks to the building site. The process has been set in motion to fix the windows of the school in Dengalenga. The floor and the chalk walls were completed in Dengalenga School. The construction of the veranda has started. The community has also carried stones to be used in the construction of the veranda.

Disaster Preparedness

The Danai Sango tree nursery received 4,500 MTn from the sales of the seedlings during the month under review. The group that is working on the tree nursery wants to diversify to start doing bee keeping. There was a major training in Casa Msika involving the heads of Zones (known as Chefe de Postos), community leaders and district government departmental heads. The objective was to create awareness on the dangers of the bush fires and to strategize on how to control it. The tree nursery in Dengalenga has seedlings that are almost ready for transplanting. There was training on how to manage the seedling done by the extension officer of the ministry of agriculture.

Who we are

AFSC is a Quaker organization devoted to service, development, and peace programs throughout the world. Our work is based on the belief in the worth of every person, and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice. Learn more

Where we work

AFSC has offices around the world. To see a complete list see the Where We Work page.